Wrapping machine



' Aug. 18, 1936. w. ROBERTS WRAPPING MACHINE 7 ,Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 26, 193.2

Aug. 18, 1936. w R E 2,051,105

WRAPP ING MACHINE Aug. 18, 1936. I w o s' I 2,051,105

I WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 :Aug. 18, 1936.w. ROBERTS 2,051,105

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 18, 1936.

W. ROBERTS WRAPPING MACHINE' Filed A ril 26, 1932 7 Sheefs-Sheet s Aug.18, 1936. w. ROBERTS WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1952- 7 Sheets-Sheet e Aug. 18, 1936.- w. ROBERTS WRAPPING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 FiledApril 26, 1932 Patented Aug. '18, I936 APPllNG Maintain E WilliamRoberts, ()swego, N. Y" assignor, by mesne assignments, to The DiamondMatch Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 26, 1932,Serial No. 697,563

11 Claims.

This invention relates to package wrapping machines, having referencemore especially to machines for wrapping rectangular articles, such asboxes of matches, as disclosed, for example, in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 836,728 dated November 27, 1906, and No. 1,589,229dated June 15, 1926.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide simple andeflicient mechanism whereby the orderly feeding of the leading articlesof a progressing row to the active path of a separating or measuringelement is ensured, which mechanism is so constructed and arranged thatwhen a gap occurs in the row in advance of the said element the machineis automatically stopped and the trailing articles of the row areadvanced to close the gap, whereupon the machine is automaticallystarted and the leading articles are fed successively to the path of thesaid element until the row is again interrupted, and so on.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forseparating the leading articles in succession from the row andpositioning the articles in co-operatlve relation to an element whichpresents them to a wrapper.

With these and other objects in view my inven tion comprises novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts which, in a preferredform, will be hereinafter described, the scope of the invention thenbeing defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings- 7 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wrapping machineembodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a right-hand end elevation of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the machine, as on the linet4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial transverse horizontal section showing the drivemechanism. as on the line 5-5 of Fi 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the machine, as on the line6-8 of Fig.2.

Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal horizontal section. immediately abovethe package supporting bed, as on the line '|'I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan, enlarged, of the article feeding mechanism and theelectric control devices associated therewith for automatically stoppingand starting the machine, showing a portion of the swinging measuringelement for transferring a series of articles to the wrapping mechanism,and also showing the stop device for arresting the progress of theadvancing articles during the operation of the transfer element.

Fig. 9 is a partial side elevation of the article feeding mechanism andthe electrical control devices showing the latter in circuit breakingposition.

Referring to the drawings, 25 designates the supporting frame of themachine, and 26 desighates the main shaft from which motion istransmitted to the various moving elements of the machine. This shafthas its bearings in brackets 21 at the rear of the frame, and, in thepresent instance, is driven from a suitably-located electric motor 28.The shaft 29 of this motor is geared through suitable reduction gearing3t with an adjacent shaft 3! having fast thereon a sheave 32 which isconnected by means of a belt 33 with a larger sheave 35 fast on a studshaft 35 at the front of the frame. Fast on the stud shaft is a sprocket36 which is operatively connected by means of a chain 37 with a sprocket38 fast on the main shaft 26.

A vertically reciprocating transfer platform or receiving support 39upon which boxes (B) or other articles to be wrapped are deposited aswill presently appear, is supported near the right hand end of themachine (looking from the front) by a pair of depending parallel guiderods M which are slidably mounted in a guide structure M supported by a.tie-beam t2 which-connects the end standards of the main frame. Thelower ends of the rods 60 are connected by a cross-head #33 having alongitudinal slot M in which is slidably fitted a. pin $5 on the'longerarm 66 of a cranklever which is fulcrumed on a tie-rod 4? connectfittedin the groove of the cam. The contour of 40 the groove is such that thecrank lever is periodically actuated during the rotation of the com toeffect the vertical reciprocation of the cross-head and the platformassociated therewith to elevate the boxes thereon to-wrapping mechanism,or 5 other manipulating devices in a prearranged order. (See Figs: 1, 3,and 4.)

Supported on the main frame is a horizontal table 5| having a.rectangular opening t2 therein with which the platform 39 registers whenit is in its lowermost position, the upper surface of the platform thenbeing in the same horizontal plane as the top of the table. I

A package supporting bed 53 extends longitudinally of the front of themachine and at right 5 angles to the longer dimension of the opening 52in the table 5|, the upper surface of the bed being slightly below thetop of the table 5|. This table is supported upon the main frame andextends to the left therefrom to a point where the articles to bewrapped are successively delivered to the table by an overhangingdischarge chute 54 of a box-filling machine for example. This machineincludes a horizontally-reciprocating plunger 55 by means of which theboxes are successively advanced along the table. A suitably-disposedpost 56 supports the outwardly extending portion of the table.

The upper run of an endless article feeding belt 51 is supported on thetable and extends from a point adjacent the discharge chute 54 to apoint near the right hand end of the table, so that the boxessuccessively deposited on the table are advanced side by side to andupon the belt. This belt passes about two pulleys 58 and 59, the shaft68 of the former having its bearings in the upper part of the post 56,and the shaft 6| of the latter pulley having its bearing in a bracket 62on the main frame adjacent the table. The shaft 6| has fast thereon asprocket wheel 63 which is connected by means of a chain 64 with asimilar wheel 65 on a lower transverse shaft 66 having its bearings inthe frame standards adjacent the motor. The shaft 66 overlies the motorshaft 29 and is equipped with a worm wheel 61 in mesh with a worm 66 onthe shaft 29. (See Figs 1, 3 and 5.) Hence during the operation of themotor, the shaft 66 is positively rotated and motion is transmittedtherefrom to the shaft 6|, thus rotating the pulley 59 and perforcedriving the feed belt 51 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.l. The boxes or other articles supplied to the belt 51 are advancedthereby to the right until a prescribed number of the leading boxes arepositioned in'the path of a horizontally swinging measuring element orseparating means 59 located in front of the table 5|, which element isconstructed and adapted to sweep the opposing series of articles fromthe belt to and upon the table and position them in an orderly mannerupon the platform 39 at right angles to the boxes on the belt 51, aswill be hereinafter described.

The boxes on the feed belt are laterally supported and guided in theirlongitudinal traverse to a point adjacent the path of the measuringelement 59 by spaced parallel side boards 10 which are supported byupstanding brackets 1| on the bed 53. On these brackets are mounted twoshafts 12 having pairs of pulleys 13 about which pass spaced belts 14.The outer or left hand shaft 12 is provided at one end with a sheave 15which is operatively connected by means of a crossed-belt 16 with asheave 11 on the shaft 60 of the feed belt pulley 58, so that the belts14 are driven with their lower runs travelling in the same direction andat the same speed as the upper run of the feed belt 51. The lower runsof the belts 14 bear upon the tops of the boxes supported on the belt51, thus steadying the advancing boxes and contributing to their orderlytravel to the path of the measuring element 69. (See Figs. 1, 2, '1 and8.)

In the present instance the measuring element comprises ahorizontally-disposed angle. lever fulcrumed on the depending portion ofa vertical pin 18 which is supported by a bracket '19 depending from ahorizontal cover plate, on the main frame directly above the upper runof the feed belt 51. The inner side of the longer arm of the lever is ofangular formation to present a longitudinal wall and a transverse wall8| at a right angle thereto, the longitudinal wall when the lever is inits outer position, extending outwardly of and parallel with the outeredge of the upper run of the feed belt 51, and the transverse wall 8|overhanging such run, as seen in Figs. 2 and 7. The shorter arm 82 ofthe measuring lever is connected by means of a link 83 with'an arm 84 ofa bell-crank which is fulcrumed on a pin 85 depending from a horizontalpackage supporting bed 86 above the belt 51, supported on the mainframe.

The other arm 81 of the bell-crank is connected by a link 88 with theupstanding arm 89 of a crank lever which is fulcrumed on the tie-rod 41at the rear of the main frame. The lever arm 89 is provided with alateral roll 90 which is operatively fitted in'the groove of a face cam9| fast on the main shaft 26. The contour of the cam groove is such thatduring the rotation of 20 the cam the crank lever is periodicallyactuated in proper timed relation to the reciprocation of the platform39, thereby through the connections described horizontally swinging themeasuring element 69 in such manner that the said ele- 25 ment sweepsacross the feed belt 51 and upon the table through an arc of 90.

When the measuring element is in its inward position the wall 88 thereofextends along the left hand edge and the wall 8| along the forward 30edge of the opening 52 in the table 5 When the element is in its outerposition the transverse wall 3| extends into the path of the leading boxon the feed belt 51, thus arresting the advancing row of boxes on thebelt, and at the same time the 35 wall 80 extends in front of a definitenumber of the leading boxes to be packaged. Consequently when themeasuring element is swung inward it transfers the opposing series ofboxes from the feed belt to the platform 39 at right angles to the 7upstanding bracket 928 afiixed to the tie-beam 42 affords a backer andevener for the boxes when they are positioned on the platform.

During theactive and return strokes of the measuring element the row ofboxes on the moving feed belt 51 are held back by a stop member which inthe initial inward movement of the element is swung across the belt andmaintained in that position until the said element in its return strokeapproaches its outer position. While the movement of the row of boxes onthe feed belt is thus arrested the close contact of the adjacent boxesis ensured by the movement of the belt thereunder.

The stop member in its preferred form comprises a segmental head 93 faston the outer end of an oscillatory arm 94 which is loosely mounted onthe depending pin 16 on which the measuring element 69 is fulcrumed. Thehead is provided at its inner end with a retaining lip 95 which, whenthe measuring element is in its outer position, is engaged by aspring-actuated latch 96 mounted on the said element, and hence whenthis element is initially swung inward the head is carried therewith soas to overlie the feed belt 51. On the outer end of the head is a thebelt, abuts the opposing outer edge of the table 5I, thus stopping thehead in the path of the advancing boxes on the feed belt, and, as

the inward movement of the measuring element.

continues, effecting the release of the latch from the notch of thehead.

As the measuring element in its return stroke approaches the feed beltthe latch 96 on the element re-engages the lip 95 of the head 93, thuscoupling the head to the measuring element and swinging the head outwardfrom the path of the boxes on the feed belt in a manner to permit theadvancement of the row of boxes into the path of the measuring elementuntil the leading box of the row encounters the transversely extendingstop wall st of the element. (See Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8.)

Motor stopping and starting mechanism under the influence of thetravelling boxes (B) on the belt 51 is provided, which mechanism ispreferably of the following description, reference being had to Figs. 1,2, 8 and 9.

Fixed on the side of the package supporting bed 53 at a suitabledistance from the receiving end of the feed belt 51, is an upstandingplate 98 having transverse bearing members 99 in spaced parallelrelation, which bearings support a pair of transverse rock-shafts I andMI, respectively, the inner ends of which overlie'the path of the boxeson the feed belt. On these inner ends are arms I02 and 403,respectively, which extend toward the delivery end of the belt and areprovided at their free ends with rolls H04 and E05, respectively, whichrest by gravity upon the tops of the boxes when present. The outer endsof the shafts I00 and IOI have afllxed thereto two plates Hi6 and I01,respectively, which are both maintained in substantially horizontalposition when the rolls rest on the tops of the boxes. Each of theplates supports a pair of mercury switches E08 and I09, which areincluded in the electric circuit, and are so arranged that when eitheror both plates are in substantially horizontal position the circuit iscompleted and the motor is in operation, and when both plates aredownwardly inclined the circuit is broken and the motor is stopped. Tothis end, a suitable terminal support for the electric circuit ispositioned between the plates I06 and I07, which support includes aninsulation plate IIO aflixed to an outwardly projecting bracket I II onthe side plate 98.

The internal contacts of the switch I08 of one pair are electricallyconnected with the contacts of the switch I08 of the other pair byconnectors H2, and the internal contacts of the switch I09 of one pairare also similarly connected by connectors II3 with the contacts of theswitch I08 of the other pair. The current supply line I I0 is connectedto a terminal post N5 of one of the connectors H3, and the ground wireH6 is connected to a terminal post In of one of the connectors H2. Theleads I I8 to the motor 28 are connected to the terminal posts H9 and Iof the connectors for the respective switches I08 and I09. (See Figs. 8and 9.)

From the foregoing it will be seen that the stopping and the starting ofthe motor are controlled by the presence and absence of boxes under therolls I04 and I05.- If owing to the temporary stoppage or irregularityof feed of the boxes to the belt 51 by'the plunger 55, a gap in thecolumn of boxes should occur between the rolls both rolls will beunsupported and therefore drop, thus breaking the circuit and stoppingthe motor, but if either or both rolls be subsequently raised by thepassage of a box or boxes thereunder the circuit will be completed, thusstarting the motor and resuming the operation of the machine until asucceeding gap in the advancing column of boxes occurs, and so on.

The space between the two rolls I00, 605 is such that upon theoccurrence of a gap of predetermined length in the column of boxes onthe belt 51 as mentioned, such gap is of suificient length to allow themachine when started to complete one revolution while the boxes arebeing regularly fed by the plunger 55 to close the gap, as otherwise theboxes would be jammed between the plunger and the stop head 90.

The space between the. roll I05 and the path of the stop'head 93 is suchthat a series of boxes exceeding in number a predetermined group ofboxes to be removed by the measuring element are supported on the belt51 between the roll E05 and the stop head 93.

It will therefore be seen that when the wrapping machine is stopped bythe action of the motor control devices a series of close-lying boxes ofsufiicient number to be wrapped are located either in the active path ofthe measuring. element or in position on the belt to be immediatelysupplied to such path when the machine is again started. v

In order to prevent the tilting of the leading box of the trailingseries when the upper edge of a box encounters and passes underthe rolliM, means for temporarily supporting the leading lower edge of the boxat this stage is pro-' vided. Such means comprises, in the presentinstance, a pair of oscillatory fingers I2I which are fixed on atransverse rock-shaft I22 having its bearings in the plate 98. Thefingers extend longitudinally of and adjacent the respective sides ofthe feed belt and are vertically movable in inclined longitudinal slotsI23 in the bed 53 to position the free ends of thefingers above or belowthe paths of the projecting ends of the boxes on the belt, which endsare arched or curved, as at I25, to present shoulders I25 to the lowercorners of the box when its upper edge abuts the roll I04. The shaft I00which carries the arm I02 for the roll I04 has secured thereto a crankarm I26 which is pivotally connected by means of a. link I21 with asimilar, but oppositely-extending, arm I28 fast on the shaft I22, thustransmitting motion from the upper to the lower shaft in such mannerthat the fingers I2I are moved concurrently with, but in an oppositedirection to, the roll during the respective downward and upwardmovements of the latter. When the roll is riding upon the tops of theboxes the rounded free ends of the fingers I2I are below the path of therow of boxes, but as the roll enters the gap in the row such ends arecorrespondingly raised into the path of the opposing box as hereinbeforedescribed. (See Figs. 8 and 9.)

In the absence of boxes thereunder the descent of the roll I04 islimited by the contact of the fingers I2I with the inclined tops of theslots I20, and in the absence of boxes under the roll I05 the descent ofthe latter roll is limited by the contact with a suitably disposed stud30I on the plate 98 of a toe 302 on the sleeve extension 303 of the rollcarrying arm I03. (See Figs. 8 and 9,)

It is to be understood that-my invention is not limited to the specificconstruction herein described, as the mechanisms may be variouslymodified within the principle of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

I claim- 1. The combination of means for feeding a row of articles, atable for receiving the articles, means for successively advancingarticles from the table to and longitudinally of the feeding means,means for separating succeeding leading articles from the row, means forconcurrently.

actuating said feeding means and separating means, and mechanism forautomatically arresting the operation of the said actuating means when agap of predetermined length occurs between adjacent travelling articlesof the row and for automatically starting the operation of the saidactuating means when the trailing articles are advanced and the gap ispartially closed by successively advanced articles, said mechanismincluding a movable control member located in the path of the row ofarticles and in spaced relation to the separating means.

2. .The combination of means for feeding a row of articles, a table forreceiving the articles, means for successively advancing articles fromthe table to the feeding means, means for separating ,succeeding leadingarticles from the row, means for concurrently actuating said feedingmeans and separating means, and mechanism for automatically arrestingthe operation of the said actuating means when a gap of predeterminedlength occurs between adjacent travelling articles of the row and forautomatically starting the operation of the said actuating means whenthe trailing articles are advanced and the gap is partially closed bysuccessively advanced articles. said mechanism including twoindependently movable control elements arranged one in advance of theother in the path of the articles and in spaced relation to theseparating means.

3. The combination of means for feeding a row of articles, a table forreceiving the articles, means for successively advancing articles fromthe table to the feeding means, means for separating succeeding leadingarticles from the row, means for concurrently actuating said feedingmeans and separating means, and electric control mechanism forautomatically arresting the operation of the said actuating means when agap of predetermined length occurs between adjacent articles of the rowand for automatically starting the operation of the said actuating meanswhen the trailing articles are advanced and the gap is partially closedby successively advanced articles, said mechanism including an electriccircuit, a switch therefor, and a switch control member located in thepath of the row of articles and in spaced relation to the separatingmeans.

4. ,lhe combination of means for feeding a row of articles, means forsuccessively advancing articles to the feeding means, means forseparating succeeding leading articles from the row, means forconcurrently actuating said feeding means and separating means, andelectric control mechanism for automatically arresting the operation ofthe said actuating means when a gap'occurs between adjacent articles ofthe row and for automatically starting the operation of said actuatingmeans when the trailing articles are advanced, said mechanism includingan electric circuit, plural switches therefor, supports for saidswitches, independently movable members arranged one in advance of theother in the path of the articles and in spaced relation to theseparating means, and operative connections between said members and therespective switch supports, whereby when either or both of said membersare positioned on the articles the circuit is completed and when both ofthe members are unsupported by the articles the circuit is broken.

5. The combination of means for feeding a row of articles, means forsuccessively advancing articles to the feeding means, means forseparating succeeding leading articles from the row, means forconcurrently actuating said feeding means and separating means, andmechanism for automatically arresting the operation of the saidactuating means when a gap occurs between adjacent articles of the rowand for automatically starting the operation of the said actuating meanswhen the trailing articles are advanced, said mechanism including amovable control member located in the path of the top of the row ofarticles and in spaced relation to the separating means, and asupporting member mounted beneath the control element and movable intoand from the bottom path of the articles, and operative connectionbetween said stop member and the control element whereby they aremovable concurrently in opposite directions to each other.

6. The combination of a support, means for feeding a row of articles ina horizontal path extending adjacent one side of the support, anoscillatory element mounted and arranged to swing horizontally acrossthe path of the leading articles of the row located at the support,means for operating said element in timed relation to the travel of thearticles, whereby succeeding leading articles are swept from the row andupon the support, and means for arresting the advancing articles duringthe operation of the said element, said last-named means including ahead movable relatively to said element, and a latch and trip connectionbetween said head and element.

7. The combination of a support, means for feeding a row of articles ina horizontal path extending adjacent one side of the support, means forsuccessively advancing articles to the feeding means, an oscillatoryseparating element mounted and arranged'to swing horizontally across thepath of the leading articles located at the support, means forconcurrently actuating said feeding means and separating element, meansadjacent said element to arrest the advancing articles during theoscillatory movement of the element, and mechanism for automaticallyarresting the operation of the said actuating means when a gap occursbetween adjacent articles of the row, said mechanism including a movablecontrol member located in the path of the row of articles and in spacedrelation to the separating element.

8. The combination of an-article receiving element, an article supportfrom which articles are delivered to said element when the element is inreceiving position, means for feeding a row of articles in a horizontalpath extending adjacent one side of said support, an oscillatoryseparating element mounted and arranged to swing horizontally across thepath of the leading articles located at the support and thereby sweepthe opposing articles upon the support and position them on thereceiving element at right angles to the fed row, said separatingelement having a separable stop portion spaced from its free end tolimit the travel of the articles, and means for operating saidseparating element in timed relation to the receiving element and thefeedin means.

9. The combination of an article receiving element, an article supportfrom which articles are delivered to said element when the element is inreceiving position, means for feeding a row of articles in a horizontalpath extending adjacent one side of said support, an oscillatoryseparating element mounted and arranged to swing horizontally across thepath of the leading articles to sweep the leading articles on thereceiving element at right angles to the fed row, separable meansoperatively connected with said separating element and movablerelatively thereto to arrest the advancing articles during the operationof the separating element, and means for operating said separatingelement in timed relation to the receiving element and the feedingmeans.

10. The combination of an article receiving element, an article supportfrom which articles are delivered to said element when the elementrelatively thereto to arrest the advancing articles during the operationof the separating element, said last-named means including a headmovable relatively to said separating element, and a latch and tripconnection between said head and separating element, and means foroperating said separating element in timed relation to the receivingelement and the feeding means.

11. The combination of means for feeding a row of articles, means forsuccessively advancing articles to the feeding means, means forseparating succeeding leading. articles from the row, means forconcurrently actuating said feeding means and separating means, andmechanism for automatically arresting the operation of said actuatingmeans when a gap occurs between adjacent articles of the row and forautomatically starting the operation of said actuating means when thetrailing articles are advanced, said mechanismincluding pluralindependently mov- I able control members arranged one in advance of theother in the path ofthe articles and in spaced relation to theseparating means, a supporting member opposite one of the control.elements and movable into and from the path of articles, and operativeconnections between said supporting member and its corresponding.control member whereby they are movable concurrently and in oppositedirections to each other, and operative connections between said controlmembers, whereby when either of said control members is resting onarticles said actuating means is operated, and when neither controlmember is resting on an article the operation of said actuating means isarrested.

' WILLIAM ROBERTS.

